405. There is no armour against fate; Death lays his icy hands on kings.

[a_scarlet_devil]

(TRIGGER WARNING. This meme deals heavy with death and also possibly with strong violence or with suicide/depression. If you are not comfortable reading about that, please PLEASE do not proceed further.)

Comments

DEATH IN BATTLE IT IS and we don't NEED no steenkin' random.org

[werewolf_hacker]

[The sigil on his chest burns, but so do the multiple sword wounds through his lungs. He coughs, painfully, tries to push himself up onto his elbows, and fails, falling back. Apparently the sigil isn't proof against a Prince of Hell. He'd put himself between this particular Prince and Razas, and paid the price -- but not before sending that Prince back to Hell, beheaded.

Everything's going dark.] I. Raz?

Re: DEATH IN BATTLE IT IS and we don't NEED no steenkin' random.org

[notsogrimoire]

[Razas staggers out of the hiding place he's been crammed into and then immediately drops to his knees again, feeling terribly cold as he slides an arm under Ben's shoulders.] Oh. Oh, Ben, no . . .

[werewolf_hacker]

Raz. [Ben coughs. He's drowning in his own blood, a veritable river flowing from the corner of his mouth.] You're. Okay? He didn't. Hurt you?

[notsogrimoire]

[Raz shakes his head. He's shaking all over, actually.] No. No, he didn't hurt me.

Ben, you shouldn't have . . . you need a Healer, Raphael . . .

[werewolf_hacker]

Think I'm. Beyond that. He stabbed me. Good. Lots. [He makes a grab for Raz's shirt with a bloodied hand and misses completely.] Where's. The others?

[notsogrimoire]

[Razas swallows weakly and latches on to Ben's hand. He hates how small he sounds and feels right now.] Coming. I'm certain they're coming. Please, just . . . please.

[werewolf_hacker]

[Ben manages a smile through the blood.] Not alone. And goin' Home. Ain't a. Bad thing.

[notsogrimoire]

[Razas takes an unsteady breath.] Well. No. I . . . er. That is. Of course it isn't.

But . . .

[werewolf_hacker]

But it's still. Dyin'. [Painfully. Which Ben will not mention. He's always hated drowning in his own blood, and his chest is seizing up as his heart tries to keep up with the blood loss.]

Love you, Raz. Grumpy old. Misanthrope.

[notsogrimoire]

[Razas isn't crying. Really. It doesn't take several tries to get his damned throat clear.] And I love you too, Benjamin. You reckless, headstrong fool.

[werewolf_hacker]

[Ben huffs out a laugh and coughs on it.] Least we. Got that. Cleared up.

[He closes his eyes. He's getting progressively limper, and the world is hazing out around him.] Was a good. Life. No regrets.

[notsogrimoire]

I'm glad. [Razas takes a breath and shakes out a wing to spread over Ben like a blanket.]

Thank you, Ben. For . . . for forgiving me. For being my friend when nobody else was.

[werewolf_hacker]

Was my. Pleasure. And it. Worked out. Awesome. [Fading.] Tell the others... Love them. Pet Steven. 'n' Pal.

[It doesn't hurt anymore. That should probably scare him, but death hasn't held any terror for Ben in quite some time.] Give Guri. Big hug...

[notsogrimoire]

I will. [Raz tightens his arm around Ben, hating how very, very helpless he is right now.]

I'll. We'll see each other soon.

[werewolf_hacker]

Sing for me. One more time? Love your voice... [Everything feels like it's coming from far away, his world shrinking down to a pinpoint of herenow.]

[notsogrimoire]

[Razas has a huge lump in his throat, but he nods and scrubs clumsily at his eyes while he raises his voice in a Psalm.]

The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
For He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in His holy place?
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully . . .